Thermostatic valve



April 1948. E. J. DILLIMAN 2,439,336

wnnnuosu'uc vALva Filed April 20, 1945 FIGJ INVENTOR. &n tyfl. Om BY '44, ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT Q OFFICE THERMOSTATIC VALVE Earnest J. Dillman, Detroit, Mich., acaignor to Detroit Lubricator Company. Detroit, Mich, a corporation oi Michigan Application April 20, 1945. Serial No. 589,415

2 Claims. (01. 230-400) This invention relates to thermostatic valves and more particularly to a valve adapted to control the admission of drinking water to a cool ing tank.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve of simple and rugged construction which can be readily produced at low cost.

Another object is to provide a valve which will respond accurately to temperature changes.

Another object is to provide a thermostatic valve having suificient power to operate smoothly against city water pressure.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, there is fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which drawings Figure 1 is a view, partly diagrammatic, showing a refrigerating system for a water cooling tank having the valve of this invention on the end of the water inlet pipe to the tank, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the valve in longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by character of reference, I designates generally an insulated drinking water supply tank which is cooled by an evaporator coil 2 which may be immersed in the drinking water. The coil 2 forms part of a mechanical refrigerating apparatus having a, compressor 3 feeding a condenser 4 from which refrigerant medium flows through a conduit 5 having expansion valve 6 controlling the flow of the refrigerant medium to the coil 2 from which the evaporated refrigerant discharges through the suction line I to the compressor. Drinking water is supplied to the tank I through an inlet conduit 8 which may be connected to the city water supply. Discharge of water from the outlet end of the pipe 8 is controlled by the thermostatic valve 9 which is carried by the conduit 8. When the temperature of the water in the tank I is above a desired degree, say 38 F., the valve 3 will be closed and supply of water to the tank I for discharge through the outlet pipe I0 to a drinking fountain for example, is solely through a bleed portll in the pipe 8. This port II is of such size that the flow of water 'to and through the tank I will be limited to the quantity which can be cooled by the coil 2. 'The valve member 9 has an elongated tubular body or member I2 which at its inlet end portion is provided with threaded in the passageway I! and extending into the chamber I3 there is a tubular valve seat member I9 which is sealed after adjustment to the end wall I 2" as at 20 by solder or the like.

The seat member I9 provides a valve port 2| at its inner end which projects into the chamber I8. This port 2| is controlled by a valve member 22 having a conical valve portion 23 cooperable with the seat member I9 to throttle flow through and to close the port 2 I. The valve member 22 is controlled by a temperature responsive power element 24 carried by a cap member 25 which is screw threaded on the open casing member end 26 of the member I2 and which is sealed by solder or the like as at 21 to the member I2 The cap member 25 has a tubular neck or cylin drical flange 28 concentric with the seat member I9 and which is internally screw threaded to receive a guide extension 29 forming part of the element 24. The extension 28 projects from the cover member 20 of the expansion chamber casing 3I to which the cover member 30 is clamped by a ring 32. Filling the casing 3| there is a temperature responsive material 33 which may comprise waxes for example, which will expand and contract in accordance with temperature changes to which the casing 3| is subjected. The material 33 acts against a flexible diaphragm 34 which is of a rubber-like material such as Ameripol and which has its marginal edge clamped and sealed between the cover member 30 and casing 3|. Through the cover member 30 and extension 29 there is a passageway concentric with the seat member I9 and having a guideway portion 35 and a sealing portion 36 with a converging throat Joining the guideway portion. In the sealing portion 38 which is open to the diaphragm 34 there is a sealing plug 31 of pliable elastic material such as Ameripol." This plug 31 transmits movement from the diaphragm 34 to a piston 38 reciprocally fitting in the guideway portion 35 and extending into the open casing member end 26 where it terminates in a head portion 39. Seating on the head portion 39 there is a guide member 40 which is guided for reciprocation in the member I2. The guide member 40 has a 4| projecting toward the seat member I. and

surrounded by an annular groove or recess l2 inward or the circumferential edge or the guide member to provide an annular shoulder 48. Pacing the shoulder 43 and alined therewith there is an annular internal shoulder 44 in the member l2. Bositioned between and held under compression by the shoulders U and 44 there is a helical coil spring ll which resists expansion or the material ll and movement of the guide member ll thereby. In the guide member post I there is a cylindrical guideway or recess 46 receiving one end of a guide rod ll having its other end connected to and projecting from the valve member 22. This other end 48 of the rod 41 is of reduced diameter to extend into a cylindrical bore or recess in the valve member 22 and to provide a shoulder on which the valve member 22 seats. The guide member post I fits within one end of a tubular or sleeve supporting member 19 which is secured in the guide member groove 42 by solder or the like. The supportin member 49 extends longitudinally through the spring 45 and beyond the shoulder 44, terminating at its free end in an inturned annular flange 50 providing an internal shoulder to receive an annular surrounding shoulder on the valve member 22. The shoulder ii is formed by a cylindrical head portion 52 on the valve member 22 and which fits within the suporting member 49 for reciprocal lost motion therein and relative thereto. The valve shoulder Si is held against the flange 50 by a helical coil spring 53 positioned within the supporting member 49 and surrounding the rod 41 and which is held under compression between the head portion 52 and the end face oi the guide member post ii. The valve chamber II has an outlet port 54 through the side wall of the casing member l2 longitudinally between the internal shoulder M and the inlet port 2 I.

The operation of the valve is as follows: The evaporator 2 has cooled the water in the tank I below the temperature at which the valve 9 is set to close and therefore the spring 45 has forced the guide member 40 downward compressing the expansible material 33 in the power element 24 so as to open the valve member 22. This will permit an increased flow of water from the pipe 8 to the tank I when there is a demand on the outlet pipe ll. However. if water is drawn in such quantities from the tank I that the evaporator 2 does not have sumcient capacity to cool it to the desired temperature of say 38 F., then as the water temperature approaches this desired maximum temperature the material 33 will expand and force the piston 38 upward or outward against the force of the spring l5 and move the valve member 22 toward port closing position. At the desired maximum water temperature the valve portion 23 will engage the seat member [9 thereby closing off further flow through the port 2i into the valve chamber l8. Any further expansion oi the material 33 will be taken up by the spring 53 which will in addition to providing lost motion also hold the valve portion 23 tightly to the seat member. The guide rod 41 and the supporting member 49 will hold the valve member 22 against any tilting or rocking against the seat member l9 under the force of the spring 53. It may be noted that the temperature at which the valve member engages the seat member l9 can be controlled by adjusting the seat member IS in its screw threaded passageway l1.

r 4 Whatisclaimedandis desiredtobesecured casingmemberhavingavalvechamberandhavinganendwallandanoppmiteopenend.said end wall having a longitudinal opening therethrough into said chamber, a valve seat member in said opening and providing an inlet valve port into said chamber, a valve member having a coolcal end portion controlling flow through said port and engageabie with said seat member to stop flow, said valve member having a surrounding shoulder facing said port and having a longitudinal central cylindrical recess facing away irom said port, a ca member closing and sealed to said open casing member end and having a central aperture theretbrough. a thermostatic power element casing having a tubular extension secured in and clodng said central aperture, a, piston guided in said tubular extension. temperature responsive material in said power element casing and operable on temperature increase to move said piston, a guide member seating on said piston and guided by and in said casing member, said guide member having a central cylindrical recess alined with and facing said valve member recess, a guide rod supported at one end in said valve member recess and having its other end reciprocally guided in said guide member recess. a sleeve member secured at one end to said guide member and reciprocally receiving said valve member, said sleeve member having an inturned flange receiving said valve member shoulder, a lost motion force transmitting spring within said sleeve member and held under compression between said guide member and aid valve member to hold said valve member shoulder against said sleeve member flange, said casing member having an internal annular shoulder facing said open casing member end and having an outlet port through its side wall between said internal shoulder and said inlet port, and a spring surroundin said sleeve member and held under compression between said internal shoulder and said guide member to oppose movement oi said valve member by said responsive material.

2. A thermostatic valve comprising an elongated tubular casing member having an end wall and an opposite open end, said end wall having a longitudinal central opening therethrough, a valve seat member in said opening and projecting into said casing member, a valve member having a conical end portion engaeeable with said seat member and having a surrounding shoulder lacing said seat member, a thermostatic power element casing having a tubular extension concentric with said valve seat and sealed to said casing member open end, a piston guided in said tubular extension and projecting into said casing member, temperature responsive material in said power element casing and operable upon temperature increase to move said piston, a guide member seating on said piston and guided in and by said casing member, said guide member having concentric recesses facing said valve seat member. a g ide rod supporting said valve member and guided in the guide member inner recess, a sleeve member secured at one end in the guide member outer recess and reciprocally receiving at its other end said valve member, said sleeve member having an internal shoulder engageable by said valve member shoulder, a lostmotion iorcetransmittingspring within said sleeve member and held under compression between said valve member and said guide member, said casing member having an internal annular shoulder facing said casing member open end, said casing member having an outlet port through its side wall between said casing member shoulder and said valve seat member, and a spring sur- 5 rounding said sleeve member and held under compression between said casing member shoulder and said guide member to oppose movement of said valve member by said responsive material.

EARNEST J. DILLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 15 Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Westinghouse Nov. 23, 1886v Elliott July 24, 1900 Home Nov. 16, 1909 Davis Sept. 13, 1910 Lux July 1, 1924 Partlow Aug. 10, 1926 McKee 1 Oct. 25, 1932 Carson Nov. 21, 1933 McNamar Aug. 6, 1940 Smellie Apr. 1, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden Sept. 21, 1937 

